Monday, September 2, 2019

Replacement Left Aileron

I started building the replacement left aileron today. This replaces the aileron that I built at the factory, now going on two years ago. It was the first thing I built for the kit. I had factory supervision and in their haste to show me how it was to be done, they installed the brackets on the spar incorrectly. Unfortunately, it wasn't noticed until the aileron was finished and it required a complete tear down of the aileron.

In Just Aircraft's defense, they stepped up and had one of their guys rebuild it for me so I could move on to the next project. I had very limited time to spend at the factory and wanted to get as much done as I could. The good news was that they fixed the aileron, the bad news was it was warped. I did not notice this until I got home and started the inventory. Again, they stepped up and sent me a complete set of parts to build a new aileron. I just now have gotten around to building it.

So, the first task was to pull all the parts out and select the spar and the three brackets that need to be attached to it. Because there is a Left and Right Aileron, I had to verify the correct orientation of the brackets before installing them. I cleco'd them in place and match drilled the rivet holes, then deburred them and scuffed the mating surfaces for the Hysol. I mixed up a batch of Hysol, applied it and cleco'd the brackets in place. I then riveted the brackets in place making sure I inserted the rivets from the correct side. Once the three brackets were riveted, I cleaned up the excess Hysol from around the rivets and the brackets. I let that set up for several hours.

Next, I began clecoing the ribs in place. There is an orientation to them that must be followed. There are twelve braces that have to be installed at the rear rib junction with the spar. I cleco'd them in place. That was a good break point for the day.